This is very sad news :
https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/popular-devon-attraction-announces-sudden-10646180
It is.
I agree, very sad.
Perhaps it may reopen seasonally.
Does it include the shop and layout displays? It seems to.
Martyn
There may be a glimmer of hope for the future. Go to the bottome of the announcement and click on the experiences link and they are taking 2026 bookings for things like footplate experiences.
I did a one day footplate experience just last October and it was excellent.
Quote from: martyn on November 15, 2025, 08:17:28 AMI agree, very sad.
Perhaps it may reopen seasonally.
Does it include the shop and layout displays? It seems to.
Martyn
It doesn't seem to clarify that but I imagine that the shop/model exhibits are part of the core business and as such remain open.
That's very sad. I've never visited but it looked very interesting. It was obviously popular but with visitors drying up in the winter months it's not surprising it was running at a loss. I hope it can be mothballed in case the economy takes a turn for the better and they can open it again.
Cheers,
Chris
We spent our honeymoon in Beer back in 1987, and then revisited four or five times, taking the kids there when they were young... the ride on the train was the hi-light of the visit. It's sad that they are closing it due to financial reasons.
I guess it falls under the category of "Use it or lose it" but the problem is maybe its location and the fact that people's disposable income has suffered from essentials like fireworks, massive TVs and the latest mobile phone :(
I have only been twice to PECORAMA, the first time with family some 32 years ago and the second when
@port perran and I went there to film the video and interview for the Forums virtual show.
Having been around the manufacturing facilities what was evident manufacturing space was limited, indeed due to covid restrictions they had taken over a previous public area for manufacturing purposes.
Is this closure possibly part of possible longer term plans to expand and develop their manufacturing base?
For me the only part that can be mothballed and become a seasonal attraction is the railway, the gardens however, require all year maintenance preparing planting areas etc.
Absolutely shocked. We have visited several times, taking our daughters when they were small. The tradition has been passed on to our grandsons who love the place. Very sad.
Paddy
It's not that easy to mothball the railway long term.
The locomotives will have boiler certificates which expire.
You can't get locomotive fitters from the job centre - or steam Drivers for that matter.
The track will require maintenance - trains or not, as will the signalling which works on TCB.
People seem to be gravitating towards an "experience" rather than a simple day out. I note they're footplate experiences for 2026 are still on sale so hopefully that will provide a lifeline for the BHLR. I attended a footplate experience day back in October and I really enjoyed it.
my first visit was in the early 70's--and i was captivated by the peco jubilee running on the living room shelf layout.
years later i ended up living and working in Exmouth--so a visit to beer was a great use of my day off.
re:jubilee --tonight i won my 10th loco --needed for yet another conversion.
Quote from: Malc-c on November 15, 2025, 11:20:14 AMIt's sad that they are closing it due to financial reasons.
Yep, but a valid reason and unfortunately increasing costs are very pertinent and pressing in today's economic environment.
Never been but so sad :uneasy:
:beers: stay safe regards Derek
RIP Pecorama. :(
(https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/albums/Bealman's_old_photos__amp;_magazines/Dir_1/main_5297.JPG)
Photograph by Bealman, 2010.
I just realised that's Mrs B on the footbridge - hey, 15 years ago!
Remember taking the sprogs there before we moved to Aus.
Was a lovely day out for the family. Sad to hear it is closing, but like a lot of businesses, they need to make money to keep going, and if Pecorama is a drain on the business, it is understandable they will close it.
Peco have said it is closing for the 2026 season, but have also said that they hope it will reopen in a changed form in the future. That could be interpreted in a lot of different ways, including having a pause for a year to revise the business model to make it more sustainable, look at outsourcing certain elements, re-evaluating what buildings get used to, staffing requirements etc. It would seem entirely plausible that a skeleton staff will be kept on to maintain the infrastructure and that BHLR will continue to be operated in a reduced way if driver courses are still being listed, but not every day. Time will tell.
I have visited Pecorama only once with Dawn a few years before the Pandemic. For me the model shop was well stocked but with everything seemingly listed at RRP not especially competitive, however I still walked out with a Farish N Class as a memento of the visit, maybe other people do similar? We had tea in "Orion" which was a lovely experience and a ride on the BHLR through the grounds which was equally enjoyable. For me the most disappointing part was the layouts in the "Pecorama" building, many of which looked old and tired, I had expected much better from Peco. I wouldn't be in the least bit surprised if the layouts go and that space is repurposed.
Is part of the issue promotion? I went because I knew it was there, and as a railway/model railway enthusiast embraced everything, but maybe it really needs to be rebranded, redesigned and promoted to appeal to the average holidaymaker. Pecorama has 10k followers on Facebook and there have been 1.1k comments as regards the closure, BHLR 2.9k and is 100% recommended, clearly they do something right for those who do visit.
So, in my humble opinion this may hopefully be a strategic break rather than the end of everything, I would have thought far too much has been invested to close it permanently without thorough evaluation of what parts work and have potential and what doesn't.
Roy
All really good points above and it could be as simple as the easiest way to change is to stop and start again.
Having been on committees where suggestions are made and the old guard say they tried that... then when asked clarify it was in 1984 or such like - times change.
So hopefully it is a revamp and rethink. They say it is profitable for four months, maybe they will just concentrate on that initially with extra time being added if a success.
I feel for all involved and hopefully it wasn't people digging heals in to do it the way it has always been done that has contributed to the decision.
I have let them down by visiting Beer the village a couple of times but not making the trip up the hill - was out of season and wet but still...
Quote from: GrahamB on November 15, 2025, 08:42:07 PMIt's not that easy to mothball the railway long term.
The locomotives will have boiler certificates which expire.
Replace the innards with batteries a motor and some sound and steam circuits and add some diesels. Most people will never know. As to drivers - for little toy trains you can train drivers up quite fast.
Aside from the economic situation and the brexit effects (loss of foreign visitors for example) there are a bunch of heritage rail operations struggling because they've not adapted to the modern era. What people will attend and the kind of people attending has changed dramatically in the past decade.
The "give me steam or give me death" people have due to age increasingly arrived at the latter option and the one that follows likes old diesel locomotives so will attend diesel galas.
The family side is also very different - for one there are a lot less families with children in some areas of the UK, what they look for has changed and with demographic changes you need more "not for kids" activity. Hence all the fancy dining trains, murder mysteries and the like that are doing the rounds.
So hopefully their pause will allow them to rearrange without running out of cash first, figure out what actually works and maybe they just need to be a seasonal operation - most are.
Regarding prices at the model shop.
Unlike some manufacturers (I'm looking at you Hornby) Peco have a policy of never undercutting their retailers, thus everything model railway related they sell at list price (plus postage if applicable).
The dealers are free to compete on price, availability, stock level, service or provision of dancing girls as they see fit but there is a level playing field - Peco don't take advantage of their position to offer tempting deals to get entusiasts' money into their till instead of that of a dealer.
Old fashioned I know, but they really do support the model shops that they supply. :beers:
Quote from: Ian Morton on November 16, 2025, 02:57:56 PMThe dealers are free to compete on price, availability, stock level, service or provision of dancing girls as they see fit
I wish to register a complaint (said in best John Cleese voice)
I've never been offered the latter. Sod the heart problem
Quote from: Newportnobby on November 16, 2025, 03:41:07 PMQuote from: Ian Morton on November 16, 2025, 02:57:56 PMThe dealers are free to compete on price, availability, stock level, service or provision of dancing girls as they see fit
I wish to register a complaint (said in best John Cleese voice)
I've never been offered the latter. Sod the heart problem
You obviously frequent the wrong model shops...
Quote from: Ian Morton on November 16, 2025, 07:41:20 PMQuote from: Newportnobby on November 16, 2025, 03:41:07 PMQuote from: Ian Morton on November 16, 2025, 02:57:56 PMThe dealers are free to compete on price, availability, stock level, service or provision of dancing girls as they see fit
I wish to register a complaint (said in best John Cleese voice)
I've never been offered the latter. Sod the heart problem
You obviously frequent the wrong model shops...
Maybe it's my definition of 'model' that's at fault :angel:
Quote from: Newportnobby on November 16, 2025, 03:41:07 PMQuote from: Ian Morton on November 16, 2025, 02:57:56 PMThe dealers are free to compete on price, availability, stock level, service or provision of dancing girls as they see fit
I wish to register a complaint (said in best John Cleese voice)
I've never been offered the latter. Sod the heart problem
I am not sure a pack of N gauge dancing girls is going to cause your heart problem any trouble :D
And suddenly we're talking about dancing girls.........
That's one rabbit hole I didn't see coming :smiley-laughing: :smiley-laughing:
Dear Pecorama,
Have you considered "adult" themed events? Perhaps after dark?
Point (code 55 electrofrog, large, curved) taken
Dear Satan,
Please can I have some GG size dancing girls in Christmas stockings... :-[
Quote from: PLD on November 17, 2025, 11:33:00 AMDear Satan,
Please can I have some GG size dancing girls in Christmas stockings... :-[
With due apologies to
@GrahamB Paul likes his women big e.g. the size of a horse :-X
Steering back towards the thread topic (amusing as the diversion was);
I am gutted by this turn of events.
I have only been a few times (the last being 2015), but each one was a lovely day and it's one of my favourite places in the world.
I am especially concerned I might not get the chance to take my son.
The BHLR is one of the very finest miniature railways in the country, I hope it's got a long term future.
Skyline2uk
We were down in Beer this summer. Passing through from Bridport to Paignton. We didn't visit because we had nearly been totalled twice by mad drivers on the steep and bendy roads around Beer. It was a case of "lets get out of here, please" from the passenger seat.
Definitely not a lack of tourists in Dorset or East Devon. Perhaps they are chasing the Jurassic Coast experience?
Bob
We've only been once in our adult years and enjoyed the day. We also enjoyed our evening when we did a runner from the pub in the village without paying. Not intentionally of course but we did save a few quid :goggleeyes:
We did actually go back the next day to pay but there was nobody home.
We have only been once, and it was in 2008, but perhaps we can be excused as it is a long way from New Zealand.
Based on this long ago visit, I would tend to agree with some of the points raised by Roy L S regarding marketing etc.
We visited as I had an interest in the model railways, but I also felt at the time that the building and display looked a bit tired, and was more taken with the Miniature Railway, the gardens and the wonderful views of Lyme Bay.
I was left feeling that as a whole the place didn't have a clear focus on what it was wanting to achieve, ie was it intended to boost the sale of Peco products, to promote model railways generally, or as a place for a family day out.
I am not a marketer, but my thought would be that the first thing to do could be to change the name. With due respect to the owning family, "Pecorama" seems a bit of a nothing name,and means nothing to anyone not involved with model railways. Locals we spoke to in Devon didn't seem to have heard of it.
Maybe they should rename the whole attraction "The Beer Heights Light Railway," and focus on promoting this along with the gardens and the location. It wouldn't mean they necessarily had to close the shop or the model displays, but I think those would be more of an optional add on for visitors who are interested rather than the casual visitor.
That seems like a sensible thing to do. :thumbsup:
That is an interesting response from
@JulianO .
As someone who lives quite close to Pecorama I concur with Julian's remarks.
I've been several times including the most interesting visit with
@Nbodger to film an item for the NGF Virtual Show.
I have to say that the senior management and staff were most welcoming and informative on that day.
It is a fabulous visitor attraction in a truly superb location but I too feel that it fails to market itself.
In this day and age printing a few leaflets which are distributed to local shops, pubs, hotels, campsites etc is simply not enough.
And I also agree that the name Pecorama doesn't work. It fails to convey what the attraction is about or, perhaps more importantly, where it is.
Browsing through a rack of leaflets, is the average holidaymaker going to choose the Pecorama one over, say, Paignton Zoo? I suggest not.
I note too that they have a policy of not undercutting their various retail outlets which is admirable but it does mean that model railway enthusiasts, me included, are put off from visiting due to the high prices even though the shop is well stocked and well laid out.
There is also, in my opinion, the need for a better cafe. The Pullman carriage is lovely but is tucked away somewhat in the rather uninspiring yard between the factory and the shop area.
The grounds are spectacular and the light railway is fabulous so it'll be a great shame to see that all go to waste.
Let's hope something can be done to save it.
'Pecorama' only resonates with those who know the tradename 'Peco' i.e. railway modellers.
I wholly concur with the renaming proposal. Make it about the attraction of the gardens and BHLR, have a decent café and tack the inevitable gift shop on the exit as most tourist attractions do. By all means price items with consideration to your dealership but be prepared to sell very little over and above child pressure on parents
For those who have access to Facebook, a dedicated Save Pecorama group has been set up :
https://tinyurl.com/bdf3tuj7
Quote from: Trainfish on November 18, 2025, 01:31:17 AMWe've only been once in our adult years and enjoyed the day. We also enjoyed our evening when we did a runner from the pub in the village without paying. Not intentionally of course but we did save a few quid :goggleeyes:
We did actually go back the next day to pay but there was nobody home.
Were you also camping? Because that would have been criminal intent :D
Quote from: Bob G on November 18, 2025, 11:52:42 AMQuote from: Trainfish on November 18, 2025, 01:31:17 AMWe've only been once in our adult years and enjoyed the day. We also enjoyed our evening when we did a runner from the pub in the village without paying. Not intentionally of course but we did save a few quid :goggleeyes:
We did actually go back the next day to pay but there was nobody home.
Were you also camping? Because that would have been criminal intent :D
:doh: :ban:
Quote from: Newportnobby on November 18, 2025, 12:55:35 PM:doh: :ban:
Well that would increase the time available for modelling.... in OO as well as N !!!
Quote from: Newportnobby on November 18, 2025, 09:31:07 AM'Pecorama' only resonates with those who know the tradename 'Peco' i.e. railway modellers.
I wholly concur with the renaming proposal. Make it about the attraction of the gardens and BHLR, have a decent café and tack the inevitable gift shop on the exit as most tourist attractions do. By all means price items with consideration to your dealership but be prepared to sell very little over and above child pressure on parents
Some vendors (particularly in Europe proper) seem to work around this by selling collectors wagons and the like that can only be bought in their official shop. I am sure there's scope for Peco to knock up a yearly BHLR official wagon that you can't buy anywhere else or mail order :bounce:
Another good idea. I'm a huge fan of that sort of thing, and bought wagons from Minatur Wunderland and the Kyoto Railway Museum, for example.
Quote from: EtchedPixels on November 18, 2025, 09:01:10 PMQuote from: Newportnobby on November 18, 2025, 09:31:07 AM'Pecorama' only resonates with those who know the tradename 'Peco' i.e. railway modellers.
I wholly concur with the renaming proposal. Make it about the attraction of the gardens and BHLR, have a decent café and tack the inevitable gift shop on the exit as most tourist attractions do. By all means price items with consideration to your dealership but be prepared to sell very little over and above child pressure on parents
Some vendors (particularly in Europe proper) seem to work around this by selling collectors wagons and the like that can only be bought in their official shop. I am sure there's scope for Peco to knock up a yearly BHLR official wagon that you can't buy anywhere else or mail order :bounce:
I bought a BHLR 009 wagon this summer. They also do a BHLR coach. They were only available at Pecorama at the time but they may be elsewhere as well by now.
Quote from: Newportnobby on November 18, 2025, 09:31:07 AM'Pecorama' only resonates with those who know the tradename 'Peco' i.e. railway modellers.
I wholly concur with the renaming proposal. Make it about the attraction of the gardens and BHLR, have a decent café and tack the inevitable gift shop on the exit as most tourist attractions do. By all means price items with consideration to your dealership but be prepared to sell very little over and above child pressure on parents
Agreed - come back stronger as Beer Heights Gardens and Light Railway, with an improved catering offering, spruce up the model railways area, and then have a 'Did you know we are internationally renowned makers of model railways' display going on before herding people into the shop.....
This is Pecorama's latest statement on the Save Pecorama FB page :
"We would like to extend our sincere thanks to everyone who has shared such kind words and memories about their love for Pecorama. Making the decision was not easy, and it was only reached after careful thought and consideration. We are truly grateful for the ideas, concern, and support expressed by our community.
While we look forward to potentially welcoming visitors through our gates at some point in the future, our on-site model shop remains open Monday to Friday, from 10:00am to 3:00pm. All stock has now been relocated from the BHLR Ticket Office, following requests from many of you to continue purchasing Pecorama goods.
Our Tours, Courses, and Driver Experiences will continue as planned, and we are committed to ensuring that our Gardens, Track, and Locomotives are carefully maintained throughout 2026.
Once again, thank you for your thoughtful messages and for sharing your cherished memories with us. Your support means a great deal".